Cold Shower Tuesdays
by Sasusc
Summary: Following the course of the movie, a more indepth look into how Sam and Josie fell in love including deletedchange scenes as well as madeup ones


Cold Showers Tuesdays

By: Sasusc

Summary: More in-depth look on how Josie and Sam fell in love, including Sam's POV (which we never saw). The movie was great, but we barely saw how they fell in love. I got a look at the original script of the movie, and have decided to use pieces of the script in this story because they were great and I would love to have seen them play on screen. I'll try not to stray to far from the movie (and script), but I never know where my muse may take me.

* * *

"I got a lonely ride in bucket seven!"

Sam Coulson glanced towards the loud voice near the Ferris wheel. The lonely woman glanced at the man sharply for announcing her status on the carnival ride.

"Single!" the carnie shouted at again, hoping to get the attention of another lone rider.

Sam realized the woman talking back to the carnie was none other then his student, Josie Gellar. She looked embarrassed sitting in the car alone, and he knew he had to help her out. He was thinking of her more and more each day after listening to her words during class and reading her reports at home. Just the other day he realized he had been keeping Josie's work on the bottom of his stack of papers so that he could take the rest of the night reading it. He knew he was becoming enamored with her through her writing, and he was taking more then a professional interest in her. It was going to get him in trouble he knew, but he couldn't help himself. Josie Gellar fascinated him.

Before he knew it, his feet had carried him towards the Ferris wheel. He had no clue how a ticket appeared in his hand as he approached the carnie.

He caught the tail end of Tommy Salomme exclaiming loudly. "--Loser that's holding up the ride!" He shot a look towards the couple in the car behind Josie.

"This seat taken?" he asked Josie as he stepped up to the car.

Josie's body slumped with relief. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He slid his hands onto the safety bar in front of him as the carnie secured the lock on the car.

Josie was quiet as the ride started. She wasn't sure what she should say to Sam Coulson. She glanced nervously out of the corner of her eye towards her teacher. There was a realization dawning on his face, but she couldn't tell if it was because he just realized he sat down next to a loser or if it was something else.

The Ferris wheel jerked into motion. Sam clutched the safety bar tighter. "Whoa." the car was going up and backwards. He glanced around him as it fully sunk in what he had done. He had saved Josie from embarrassment by joining her, but he now had put him in a terrifying predicament. He was seriously afraid of heights and the Ferris wheel was one of the tallest rides offered at the carnival. He shifted nervously, attempting to keep the car in a steady position as it started to rise.

"Are you…scared?" Josie asked with concerned. His hands were clamped down on the safety bar turning his knuckles white.

He attempted to overcome his fear by taking deep breaths. It wasn't working. "Uh, well, I'll tell you something here." Did his voice sound a little higher? He adjusted his tone for a deeper, more normal level. "I…I hope it doesn't undermine my position as an authority figure, but….um…I'm a little afraid of heights." _Oh God_, he thought, as the Ferris wheel paused. _Don't let the ride breakdown while he was stuck up here! _Another thought struck him as he turned to look at her smiling face. Did she think he was a sissy now?

Josie gave off a small laugh. "You're afraid of the Ferris Wheel."

He barely moved his head to stare cautiously down at the crowd below. "Well, actually, it's the…um, plunging head first into the crowd part that kind of gets me."

She gave him a sympatric look. "Oh, right. Because of the Spiderman incident?" She remembered the story he told the class about how he felt he had superpowers when he was wearing his Spiderman pajamas. He had tried to climb up the side of the garage, but fell after nearly making it to the top. He had to be taken to the emergency room to patch up his cracked head. An incident like that would cause anyone to be afraid of height.

He glanced into her eyes, touched that she remember his story he told awhile ago. "Hey, you remember that story?" he asked in surprised. He hadn't realized that his students were paying that much attention to his little stories during class.

"I remember everything that you say." She nodded. "In-in your classroom," she thought to clarify. Inwardly, Josie groaned. She didn't want her teacher to realize that she had a small crush on him.

The couple smiled at each other, both searching for signs of mutual attraction.

Suddenly, Josie had to steady herself as the bucket started to sway heavily. Sam reacted to her moments, and threw an arm around the front of her waist. It left him vulnerable to the heaving rocking, but he set aside his fears to reassure himself that Josie wasn't going to slide head first into the crowd. They were still facing each other, and Josie noticed the green twinge that swept up his face. She grabbed his hand that was plastered to her stomach and intertwined their fingers.

The need to hurl lessened as she tried to comfort him. Their bucket slowly calmed down as it started to ascend once again. He relaxed back into the seat. He felt he would be okay if she let go of his hand, but he liked the feeling of her hand in his. Lara wasn't one for public display of affection, unless it was needed to warn of other women from approaching him. Even if she did, he was sure holding hands with her wouldn't feel the same as it did with Josie. He never felt this much on fire with a simple, innocent touch of palm on palm. He felt his body reacting. He needed take his mind off of his body's physical response to Josie's skin

"Can I ask you something?" He waited until she nodded before continuing. "Do you think I tell too many stories? In class, I mean."

Josie smiled brightly at him. "That's what makes you interesting." She had to glance away with a blush as she realized what she had just said. "As a teacher," she quickly added.

Sam glanced away as well. "God, I would love to think I'm an interesting teach." His heartbeat quickened as he felt a squeeze on his hand. "I mean, I had…what? One or maybe two teachers in high school who had any passion at all for what they teach."

Josie tugged on his hand, hoping to get him to look at her. He did. She wanted him to see how honest she was in her reply. "You do. Have passion." She felt the need to clarify once again. "In the classroom."

Sam gave her a bashful grin. "You have to say that. You're my student."

Josie disagreed. "I don't have to say that."

He searched her eyes, looking for something. He wasn't entirely sure what, but he knew if he saw it, he would know. Was she trying to convey to him something of her feelings for him not as a teacher but as a man?

"Whoo! If the bucket's a-rockin', don't come a kn-n-n-n-ockin'! Yeah!"

The startled couple glanced up. Tommy and Kirsten were rocking their bucket as he shouted down at them. Sam shook his head as they both laughed uncomfortably.

He had mix feelings for the interruption. On one hand, it gave them the distraction they needed to keep from crossing the line between students and teachers. She was only seventeen, for God's sake! On the other hand, he wanted to know how far across the line they could go. She was on the threshold of womanhood, and he wanted to be the man that helped her cross it.

"Boys," he said in a way of an explanation.

"I know."

He glanced up at the bucket again as Tommy yelled, "Mr. Coulson rocks my world!"

"I'd like to tell you that we all grow out of it, but that's a lie. Some of us will always be rattling cages."

"Why do you do that?"

Sam shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. And you know what's scary? When you get older, it just gets more confusing." He glanced out across the carnival, not really taking in the sight before him. "I've spent the last ten years with women who are basically all wrong for me." Someone ought to slap him, he thought. Why did he have to bring that up? Not only did the statement reinforce the age gap between them, but it could insinuate that he might think she was right for him or this was an actual date. It could be neither of the later, for he could lose his teaching license if allowed those thoughts to form between them. He scanned her face for a clue on what she was thinking. "You know what; I shouldn't be talking to you about this stuff. I'm sorry."

"That's okay. It's nice to have someone to talk to." She smiled sadly at him. The need to protect her surged up. He wanted to wipe that expression off of her face. Teenagers could be so cruel. How could anyone _not _see how beautiful and intelligent Josie Geller was? He noticed how the popular kids went out of their way to torture her, and the rest of the student body followed their lead. Recently, even the Denominators had been ignoring her. He wanted to interfere on her behalf, but he knew he would only make it worst for her. He tightened his grip on her hand.

"Same here."

Sam noticed they were paused on the top of the Ferris wheel. He felt his fear start to bubble up. Unfortunately for him, he decided to open his mouth in an attempt to calm his fears. A silly grin was plastered to his lips as he focused on her. "All I can tell you is that when you're my age, the guys will be lined up around the block for you."

Josie couldn't stop the smile from forming. Nor could she stop her eyes from dropping down to his lips.

His lips were suddenly dried as he noticed her glazed dropped from his eyes to his lips. He licked his lips without a thought to his action.

The sight of his tongue sweeping across his lips caused a blush to form. She turned away, shyness overcoming her. "You have to say that. You're my teacher."

Sam paused. He knew the correct response was to allow her to keep her naïve perception, but it wasn't the teacher in him that responded. It was the man in him who wanted her to understand that he was attracted to her. "Actually, I shouldn't say that because I am your teacher."

He peeked down to see if she understood his meaning and how she handled the knowledge. She was blushing. The mischievous grin told him she wasn't uncomfortable or ashamed of his statement. The knowledge that she was open to viewing him as a man was a heady experience. It pushed any rational reasoning to the back of his mind. He scooted closely to her, intending to fulfill one of his persisted fantasies. Would a kiss really be a bad thing?

His movements jerked the car into rocking. He pulled his hand away from hers as fear clouded his mind. His hands gripped the safety bar. It had to be a sign, he thought darkly. His hands needed to stay to themselves, away from her person. She was seventeen, one of his students he was entrusted to protect and educate. It wasn't his job to educate her in the ways between a man and a woman. His education was purely academic. He would lose his job if it became something more.

He closed his eyes as their bucket descended, almost as if it was plunging into the crowd below. He gave a small sigh of relief as he felt a light touch near his clenched fist. She was holding the bar too, and moved her hand as close as it could to his. It wasn't as nice as holding her hands, but knowing it was near at hand gave a similar feeling of comfort.

"Thanks, Josie. This wasn't as bad as I thought."

She laughed as leaned forward slightly and glimpsed his face. "When are you going to open your eyes?"

"I'm thinking when I'm home." A shaky laughed followed his answer.

Jose burst out laughing. Sam opened one eye to watch her laugh with abandonment. He gasped quietly. She took his breath away when she looked like that. He wanted that look on her face at all times. _He _wanted to be the man that kept that look on her.

He groaned. He had it bad, and he knew it. He hadn't realized how bad until he made the stupid mistake to join her on the Ferris wheel when he was deeply afraid of heights. Never had he felt this overwhelming need that Josie brought out in him. Never had a woman gave him so many mixed emotions.

Josie Geller was a woman he could love until the day he died. She was perfect and amazing. She had a passion for literature that rivals his own. She was funny. She was very intelligent, processing a wisdom far above her age level. It was her age that was her one flaw, and it was something she couldn't change. He had no business mooning over a seventeen year old girl.

The bucket jostle as the carnie welcomed them back to earth. The man unlatched the safety bar. Sam sat for a second later, waiting for Josie to step down first.

Josie smiled at him as she adjusted her black, lacy shawl around her body. She didn't want the night to end, and had hoped they could continue to enjoy each other's couple for the remainder of the night. Sam gave her a heart-melting smile. Her knees grew weak. Sam Coulson had the most beautiful smile. She sighed as he joined her on the bottom of the platform.

"Have I thanked you yet on rescuing me?" He nodded. "Well," she said, picking on a stray string on her shawl. "Thank you again. You didn't have to, and yet you did even with your fear of heights."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Truth be told, I completely forgot I was afraid of heights when I saw your predicament. I just reacted."

Josie reached out to touch his arm. She smiled to show her appreciation. She quickly dropped her arm as her brother knocked into her.

"Josie, Mr. Coulson," he greeted.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be working?"

"Monty gave me the night off. We've been dead all day." Rob glanced at the space between his sister and teacher. They were standing very close to each other, almost as if they were a couple and not a teacher and a student. "I've actually been looking for you. Where have you been?"

"Up on the Ferris wheel."

He nodded. "That would explain why I couldn't find you. Your dad called me. He mentioned that he wants to see you ASAP, something about your homework."

"Dad? Homework?" Josie frowned as she tried to follow her brother. "What are you talking about? I finished all my homework before coming here."

Rob rolled his eyes. "I'm just telling you what he told me when I dropped by the office to find you."

Office. Her eyes widen in realization. "Oh. Oh! That homework!" She glanced nervously towards Sam. "My dad. He's training me to take over the family business. He wants to make sure I know what I'm doing." She turned back to Rob. "Why didn't he just call me?"

He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Because I was there and on my way to you and because you didn't bring your phone with you."

"Oh, right. I didn't think I needed my phone here."

"Be careful, Jos, Gus looked ready to pull out his hair when I mentioned you must have already left to come here. He wasn't happy to learn you were out here having fun when you should be working."

Josie mumbled under her breath. This was part of her assignment. He told her to go where the popular kids went, and they were at this carnival. It wasn't her fault that she was having trouble joining them. She liked to see Gus try to infiltrate the popular kid's group. He would be having the same problem fitting in with them as she was.

Rob patted her shoulder. "Hey, don't let him get you down. Have fun. You deserve it." He spotted a short blonde hair girl waving at him to gain his attention. He smiled and waved back. "Tracy's spotted me. I better go before she pulls a muscle trying to get me to come over there."

Sam raised an eyebrow after Rob left. "You know Rob?"

Josie bit her lips. "Yeah, Rob…he's like a brother to me. I've known him all his life."

"Oh." Sam watched as Rob was greeted by Tracy with a hug and Guy Perkins with a high-five. Josie started walking, so he stepped next to her and matched her pace. From the way Josie and Rob were talking, it sounded like Josie was having problems at home. What kind of father didn't want his daughter to have a night of fun? Was her father someone that he should be concerned about?

"You're going to follow your father's footsteps and take over his job?"

Josie shook her head, and then changed her mind by nodding. "Sort of. It's complicated. He doesn't believe I could do a great job at writing. He's giving me a chance to prove myself but…" She closed her eyes and sighed. "I know he doesn't trust me--believe in my ability to write."

"Josie, you're a great writer. Don't let your dad tell you differently. There's a spark in your writing that causes people to sit up and take notice. It reaches out and grabs the reader by the heart."

A tear leaked out of her closed eyes. "You think so?"

Sam jerked her around as he grabbed her shoulders to face him. "I believe in you. You'll make a fabulous writer. You _are _a fabulous writer."

Josie reached up to swipe the tears that were rolling down her cheeks. "I used to think so, now I'm not so sure. I can't find a story to make him believe in me."

He slid his hands to her neck so that his thumbs could caress her cheeks. "Don't let him break your confidence. You're a great writer, any fool could see that. You'll find that story that'll blow your father away when he reads it. You have to trust in yourself. I do."

She opened her eyes and gave him a watery grin. "You really think so?"

"I know so." He kept her face steady as he tried to convey his feelings through his eyes.

She searched his eyes, looking for a hint of doubt, but found none. He believed in her writing. Completely. Mindlessly, she stepped forward causing his hands to drop from her face and kissed his cheek. "Thank you." She laughed. "It helps to know that someone believes in me." She twirled away from him, her red dress and black shawl swirled around her thin form. "I better check in with him, my dad. He doesn't like to be kept waiting." She smiled back at him. "I might not be able to enjoy the rest of the night, but you should. See you in school on Monday." She danced farther away from him, heading towards the parking lot.

Sam couldn't move. He was rooted to the spot. The feel of her lips against his cheek set shockwaves across his body. Her innocent kiss freed his sinful thoughts of his student. If a kiss on the lips felt anything like the kiss on his cheek, he knew he would be totally and completely lost. He would never be able to recover from a kiss of hers.


End file.
